I received your kind Letter of the 16th past, which gave me the great Pleasure of learning that you were well. I thought I before acknowledg’d the Receipt of yours by Colonel Serjeant.

The Convention finish’d the 17th Instant. I attended the Business of it 5 hours in every Day from the Beginning which is something more than four Months. You may judge from thence that my health continues; some tell me I look better, and they suppose the daily Exercise of going and returning from the State house, has done me good. You will see the Constitution we have propos’d in the Papers. The Forming of it so as to accomodate all the different Interests and Views was a difficult task and perhaps after all it may not be receiv’d with the same Unanimity in the different States, that the Convention have given the Example of, in delivering it out for their Consideration. We have, however, done our best, and it must take its Chance.

I agree with you perfectly in your Disapprobation of War. Abstracted from the Inhumanity of it, I think it wrong in Point of Human Providence, for whatever Advantages one Nation would obtain from another, whether it be Part of their Territory, the Liberty of Commerce with them, free Passage on their Rivers, &c &c.; it would be much cheaper to purchase such Advantages with ready Money, than to pay the expense of acquiring it by War. An Army is a devouring Monster, and when you have rais’d it, you have, in order to subsist it, not only the fair Charges of Pay, Clothing, Provision, Arms and Ammunition, with numberless other contingent and just Charges to answer and satisfy; but, you have all the additional Knavish Charges of the numerous Tribe of Contractors, to defray, with those of every other Dealer, who furnishes the Articles wanted for your Army, and takes advantage of that want to demand exhorbitant Prices. It seems to me, that if Statesmen had a little more Arithmetic, or were more accustomed to Calculation, Wars would be much less frequent. I am confident that Canada might have been purchased from France, for a tenth Part of the Money England spent in the Conquest of it. And if, instead of fighting with us, for the Power of Taxing us, she had kept us in a good humour, by allowing us to dispose of our own Money, and, now and then, giving us a little of hers, by Way of Donation to Colleges, or Hospitals, or for cutting Canals, or fortifying Posts; she might easily have drawn from us much more by our occasional voluntary Grants and Contributions, than ever she could by taxes. Sensible People will give a Bucket or two of Water to a dry Pump, that they may afterwards get from it all they have occasion for. Her Ministry were deficient in that little Point of Common Sense; and so they spent 100 Millions of her Money, and after all lost what they contended for.

I lament the Loss your Town has suffered this year by Fire. I sometimes think Men do not act like reasonable Creatures, when they build for themselves combustible Dwellings, in which they are every Day oblig’d to use Fire. In my new Buildings, I have taken a few Precautions, not generally us’d; to wit, none of the Wooden Work of one Room communicates with the Wooden Work of any other Room; and all the Floors, and even the Steps of the Stairs, are plaistered close to the Boards, besides the Plaistering on the Laths under the Joints. There are also trap Doors to go out upon the Roofs, that one may go out and wet the Shingles in case of a neighbouring Fire. But, indeed, I think the Stair Cases should be Stone, and the Floors Tiled, as in Paris, and the Roofs either Tiled or Slated.

I am much oblig’d to your Friend and Neighbour, Mr. Lathrop, for his kind present, and purpose writing to him. ’Tis a Discourse well written.

I sent you lately a Barrel of Flour, and I blame myself for not sooner desiring you to lay in your Winter’s Wood, and drawing upon me for it, as last year. But I have been so busy. To avoid such Neglect in future, I now make the Direction general, that you draw on me every year for the same purpose. Adieu, my dear Sister, and believe me ever, Your affectionate Brother,